I have come to appreciate very much lately the preserved lemons recipes. Here is how to make preserved lemons:

take a lemon, cut it almost in half, but leave the 2 parts joint. Do the same think on a perpendicular direction. This will leave you a lemon cut in 4 pieces but still tied together by the lemon skin.
add as much salt as possible
put in a glass jar which has a way to seal the content (like a metal cap)
prepare other lemons in the same way and put them in the glass jar (as much lemons as it can fit). I managed to fit 6 lemons in a 1l glass jar.
add lemon juice (from other lemons) until all the lemons in the jar are immersed
add some extra salt
fit the cap and seal the jar
each 1-2 days for about a weak add more salt (this is one step I forgot)
leave in a dry, cool and dark place for 4-6 weeks.

I love using preserved lemons as well. It gives a nice flavor and added dimension to certain dishes that people can't quite figure out. I've used it on dishes like braised chicken, but also on the other spectrum of dishes like raw oysters, and raw seafood crudos.

We make a family meal pasta at work of grilled portobellos, grilled chicken, grilled red onions, tomatoes, kalamata olives, parmesan, fresh herbs, and preserved lemons, all tossed with pasta in EVOO. Though they are salty themselves, I realy like preserved lemons with other salty flavors, because they have a certain zip that really unlike anything else. len_p, you should consider toying with your recipe a little bit and maybe adding some dried herbs etc. to add additional aromas and flavor.

Also, how long do you preserve your lemons for? We let ours sit for at least a month before cracking the jar open.

After I jar the lemons I usually check 2-3 days after and complete with more lemon juice or salt if needed to cover all the lemons. Then I leave them in a cold place for 4-5 weeks. Once I open them I store them the fridge. I have just opened last weekend a jar from may and the lemons where in perfect condition.

I think I should tell you a bit of story about the preserved lemons. Once upon a time I was in Morroco in the company canteen where each day about 100 people where eating. In the traditional food section, on Thursday there was an immense pot of crystal clear yellow sauce with lemons which was served with chicken and couscous from other pots. So that color, which I later found out it's not from the lemons, and taste made me investigate further and start preserving lemons from my return home.

This is a roast chicken dish I did with preserved Meyer lemons. After rinsing and slicing the lemons, they were steeped in simple syrup to get that glaze and to also add some sweetness with the saltiness. It was served with braised onion and fennel, mushroom risotto, and a porcini-chicken jus.

This is a roast chicken dish I did with preserved Meyer lemons. After rinsing and slicing the lemons, they were steeped in simple syrup to get that glaze and to also add some sweetness with the saltiness. It was served with braised onion and fennel, mushroom risotto, and a porcini-chicken jus.

Yes please, that's what I'll have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

len - when you say "as much salt as possible" are you completely covering the lemons with salt? .....and then adding fresh lemon juice too?

And Ironchef - I see your lemons are in slices versus "almost" cut in quarters like described in len's recipe. Can you slice them too?

Another one from the archives. This dish used preserved lemon in the aioli. It was a salmon carpaccio with a preserved lemon and herb aioli, radish and pea sprout salad, and crispy Peruvian purple and sweet potato strings:

Very very nice photos, I can't wait to post one with my recipe. As for kitchenelf when I cut the lemons I add as much salt as they can hold then I cover them with juice from other lemons which I then discard. When they are covered with juice I add 2-3 more tbs of salt.